Chapter 10
William looked at Evelyn, his eyes full of concern.
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Evelyn let out a long breath, thinking. ‘Dad will find out sooner or later. Might as well tell him now and give him time to wrap his head around it.
Evelyn spoke up, “Dad, he’s seeing someone else. Noah barely even wants me to take care of him. I’m completely drained from this marriage. I just… I don’t wanna keep forcing myself to stay.”
Back then, working and taking care of Noah were Adrian’s routines. He wasn’t a considerate husband, but his love for Noah had always been real.
Evelyn used to believe that if she just held on long enough, things would eventually turn around.
But then Clarissa showed up, and Evelyn’s dream shattered completely. She finally saw things for what they really were.
William tried to persuade Evelyn. “Evie, come on, what guy isn’t a bit of a flirt? He can have all the flings he wants out there, but as long as you don’t divorce him, none of them matter.
“You’ve gotta think about Noah too. He’s still so little. He needs to grow up in a complete family.”
Just then, his phone started ringing. He immediately stood up and stepped outside the room to take the call. Evelyn watched him duck his head and keep his voice low. She figured it had to be Melissa, her stepmother.
William came back a few minutes later, pulled three hundred bucks out of his pocket, and stuffed it into Evelyn’s hand.
He said, “Evie, I’ve gotta go back. This is from my own stash. Don’t tell Melissa, or she’ll blow a fuse.”
And with that, William rushed off.
Evelyn stared at the wad of cash in her hand, feeling a swirl of emotions.
William never had a say in this family. Evelyn’s grandma always favored her uncle and kept leeching off William to support her uncle’s family. William just kept giving, never saying a word.
Ever since William married Melissa, who was tough as nails and sharp–tongued, she had him wrapped around her finger. Even Evelyn’s grandma and her uncle’s family got whipped into shape by Melissa.
Evelyn looked down at the crumpled bills–ones, fives, tens all mixed together. Just seeing how piecemeal it was made her realize how hard it must’ve been for her dad to save it.
Evelyn knew that William brought up Noah not just out of concern for the kid, but mostly because he didn’t dare cross Adrian. A guy like Adrian could wipe out their whole family with a snap of his fingers.
But this time, Evelyn wasn’t going to listen to her dad. She had to live for herself, even just once.
*****
19:20 Wed, Sep 3
Chapter 10
With the caretaker Nathan arranged, her wound healed quickly.
Seven days flew by soon. Yet not once did Adrian or Noah come by to check on her.
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She’d just gotten her stitches removed and was itching to get back to work. As she reached for her laptop, the door burst open.
“For fuck’s sake! What garbage you are. Hope you and your slutty soulmate rot in hell together.” Helena Harmon stormed in, still muttering curses under her breath. She even turned and spat outside the door.
“What happened? Why so worked up?” Evelyn asked, raising her eyebrows.
Helena came from the Harmon family, the second most powerful clan in Riverhold after the Fords. On the surface, she was a graceful lady, the picture–perfect heiress.
But only Evelyn knew the real Helena was nothing like the image she showed the world.
“You’re seriously just sitting here while they walk all over you? Are you kidding me?” Helena was practically shaking with rage.
If she hadn’t come to the hospital to get checked out for her cramps and randomly spotted Evelyn getting her stitches out while Adrian played the doting partner to Clarissa, she would’ve had no clue Evelyn’s marriage was falling apart.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
